Railroad-tie puller.



J. R. SMITH.

RAILROAD TIE PULLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, 1911.

Patented Ja11.23,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

c oLUMmA PLANQGRAPM Co., WASHINGTON. D. c,

J. R'. SMITH.

RAILROAD TIE FULLER.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY ze, 1911.

l 1,015,647. Patented Jan.23,1912.

Suva/nto@ JESSE R. SMITH, OF BENTON, ILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-TIE FULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23,1912.

Application iled May 26, 1911.y Serial No. 629,643.

To all whom 'it may concern.

Be it known that I, Jnssn R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Benton, in the county of Franklin and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Tie Pullers, of which the following is a specication.

This inventionl relates to railroad tie pullers, and it may be described as constituting an improvement in a device of this class for which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 924,391, were issued to me on the 8th day of June, 1909.

In my previously patented device frame members are provided consisting of blocks having hooks pivotally connected therewith and adapted to engage the head of a rail for the purpose of holding the device securely in position for operation. The rail would thus be obstructed for the passage of trains, and it would be found necessary to suspend operations and to remove the device in order to permit trains to pass, thereby involving the loss of considerable time. Y

One object of the present invention is to construct a device in such a manner that it may be supported for operation without obstructing the road for the passage of trains.

Further objects of the invention are to simplify and imp-rove the general constructionV and operation of a device of the character described.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and'novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has'been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within lthe scope of the claims may 'be' resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-Figure 1 is a top plan view of a'portion of a railroad track showing'one of the improved tie pullers in position thereon for removing a tie. Fig.` 2 is Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The frame of the improved machine includes a pair of blocks 1, 1 which are connected together and spaced apart by means of tie rods 2 and 3. The front endsl of the blocks 1 are beveled upon their upper and lower edges so as to form the nose pieces 4 which are of such dimensions as to fit against the web A of a standard rail between the fiange B and the ball or head C. The blocks 1 are provided at their lower rear corners with heel extensions 5 uponl which a supporting 'bar 6 is mounted, said bar having an intermediate upwardly arched portion 7 Each of the frame blocks 1 is provided with a handle 8, and the projecting ends of the supporting bar form auxiliary handles adapted to be grasped by the operators for convenience in carrying theV machine and moving it from place to place. The frame blocks 1 are provided with apertures forming bearings for the journals 9 of a winch -or roller 10,*and the journals 9 are provided with' extensions 11 of angular crosssection to receive and support ratchet wheels 12 which lie adjacent to the outer faces of the frame blocks 1, said ratchet wheels being secured inposition by means of disks or washers 13 secured by fastening means, such as screws 14. Gravity pawls 15 pivoted upon the frame'blocks engage the ratchet wheels 12 to prevent the'roller from rotatingin one direction, but said gravity pawls may when lifted out of engagement with the ratchet 'wheels be supported upon studs 16 formed by the projecting ends of the tie rod 2. An operating lever 17 is mounted in the socket 18 extending upwardly from a bifurcated head 19, the sides or jaws of which are provided with apertures whereby said head is be no delay because the track will be in no' mounted. upon the winch or roller 10 near one end of the same. Between the, jaws 2O of the head 19 is mounted a ratchet wheel 21, the latter being fixed upon the roller and adapted to be engaged by a pawl 22 carried by the head 19, thus enabling the roller to be rotated in one direction, step by step, by means of the actuating lever, rotation in the opposite direction being prevented by the pawls 15 engaging the ratchet wheels 12. The roller 10 is formed with end lportions 23 of enlarged diameter constituting drums and having flanges 24 adjacent thereto. Each of the drums is provided with an apertured lug 25 for the attachment of a flexible member, such as a rope 26, the free end of which preferably carries a chain 27 having a terminal tie engaging hook 28. The tie rod 3 is equipped with flanged guide rollers 29 over which the flexible elements 26 may be guided.

In the operation of this invention, the machine which is made of suitable dimensions, is supported adjacent to the outer side of one rail of the track, the arched portion 7 of the supporting bar 6 being arranged to straddle the tie that is being operated upon, while the terminal ends or handle portions of said supporting rod are made to rest upon the adjacent ties. The noses 1 of the frame blocks 1 are arranged to abut upon the web of the rail between the head and the flange of the latter, thereby preventing upward or downward displacement of the machine which is also held in place by its own weight. The free ends of the flexible members 26 are guided over the rollers 29 along the sides of the tie that is to be pulled out,

I and the terminal hooks 28 may now be suitably connected with the tie, after which by manipulating the lever 17 the roller is rotated to wind the flexible elements upon the drums 23, thus pulling the tie from beneath the track. It is evident that a new tie may be replaced in a similar manner and that this work may be performed without injuring or marring the tie by handling the same by means of picks, as is usually done. lIt is also evident that the work of shoveling the dirt and ballast away from the tie to beremoved as well as the subsequent dumping of the ballast may be dispensed with, thus not only saving time, but to a large extent avoiding subsequent settling and the knecessity for subsequent repairs arising therefrom.

If a train should happen along while the tie pulling machine is in position there need wise obstructed by the machine, and it is, therefore, unnecessary to remove the machine when trains are expected or to hold trains waiting pending the removal of the machine. The machine itself may be easily handled and carried by the handles 7 and 8. It is simple in construction and thoroughly eiicient in operation.` n

I-Iaving thus described the invention, whatis vclaimed as new, is

1. A tie puller and replacer adapted to be supported adjacent to the outer side of one rail of a railroad track, said device including frame blocks formed with nose pieces adapted to engage and abut upon the outer side of the web of a rail beneath the head of the same, leaving the rail head and the track space intermediate the rails completely unobstructed for the passage of trains while the device is in position for operation.

2. A tie puller and replacer having frame blocks adapted to abut upon a rail web beneath the rail head, said frame blocks being formed with heel extensions, anda supporting bar mounted upon said extensions, said supporting bar having intermediate arched projecting tie engaging portions forming handles.

3. A tie puller and replacer having frame blocks adapted to abut upon a rail web between the head and the flange of such rail, said frame blocks being v'provided with upwardly extending handles and with heel extensions, and a supporting bar mounted upon said extensions and having an arched intermediate portion and projecting end portions forming tie engaging handles.

4. A tie puller and replacer comprising frame blocks adapted to abut exteriorly upon a rail web beneath the head of the rail, said head blocks being provided with heel extensions, and an arched supporting bar mounted upon said extensions, tie rods connecting the frame blocks, a roller supported for rotation in said frame blocks and having ratchet wheels, pawls mounted upon the frame blocks in engagement with said ratchet wheels, a ratchet wheel fixed upon the roller between the frame blocks, a bifurcated head having apertured jaws engaging the roller and straddling the fixed ratchet wheel, said head carrying a pawl engaging said ratchet wheel and an actuating lever, flexible elements connected with the roller, and guide rollers ulpon one of the tie rods over which said flexible elements are guided.

5. In a machine of the character described, a pair of frame blocks, tie rods connecting the same, one of said tie rods being provided with projecting ends forming lugs, a roller supported for rotation in the blocks, ratchet wheels upon said roller, and pawls pivoted upon the frame blocks toV engage said ratchet wheels, said pawls being adapted to be supported upon the lugs formed by the projecting ends of the tie rod when not in engagement with t-he ratchet wheels.

6. In a machine of the character described, a pair of frame blocks, tie rods connecting the same, a roller supported for rotation in the roller, and anged guide rollers upon the frame blocks, said roller having enlarged one of the tie rods. 10

portions forming drums, flanges adjacent to In testimony whereof I affix my signature said drums and apertured lugs, flexible elein presence of tWo Witnesses.

ments connected With the apertured lugs JESSE R. SMITH. and Wound upon the drums, means for ro- Witnesses: tating the roller in one direction7 paWl and C. H. BARRETT,

ratchet means to prevent reverse rotation of M. K. I-IALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

